"Resident Evil" Nukes Competition

The Apocalyspe was now at the box office.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse dominated the weekend megaplex race with Milla Jovovich's return as the flesh-and-blood version of the violent videogame's sexy, kick-ass zombie whacker zapped up $23.7 million, the third-best ever gross for a September opener.

The lively debut of Screen Gems' R-rated sequel trails only Sweet Home Alabama, which debuted with a sweet $35.6 million in 2002, and the original Rush Hour, which tore in with $33 million in 1998. However, both those films, which went on to make well over $100 million apiece and register as solid hits, had considerably higher per-screen averages--$10,826 and $12,501, respectively--compared to Apocalypse's $7,217 at 3,284 sites.

The original Resident Evil debuted in March 2002 in second place with only $17.7 million, but a similar $7,004 per-screen average from just 2,528 sites. It eventually grossed $39.6 million.

Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, says that the Sony-run Screen Gems has been very successful with genre action films like Resident Evil: Apocalypse, which appeal primarily to young males--"moderately budgeted, marketed very well...and staying clear of the summer rush...They are cost effective."

While the zombie action connected with its target demo, the weekend's other new listing in wide release, Cellular was a wrong number, dialing up a a distant second-place finish with $10.6 million. The critically trashed PG-13 New Line release stars Kim Basinger as a kidnap victim desperate to reach out and touch someone.

Meanwhile, Dergarabedian raved about the art-house fave Napoleon Dynamite, which he dubbed "an obvious hit". In its 14th week, Fox Searchlight's PG-rated quirky comedy, about a small-town teenage geek with a not so wonderful life, only dropped 6 percent from the previous week. Adding 35 sites to bring its total exposure to just 921, it moved up from 13th place last week to ninth, earning $2.6 million to bring its current gross to $30.4 million. This little movie that could, says Dergarabedian, could become "this year's My Big, Fat Greek Wedding," which had such a long and successful run in 2002.

New in limited release was the grifter tale Criminal, starring John C. Reilly, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Diego Luna. The R-rated Warner Independent Pictures release landed on 77 screens, averaging $3,506 for $270,000.

Among the holdovers, Without a Paddle continued to snare audiences. Dropping one slot in its fourth week, the dudes-in-the-wilderness comedy lost only 35 percent, earning $4.5 million in third place, bringing its total gross to $45.5 million.

Hero lost its grip on the top slot it had held for two weeks, dropping 50 percent to $4.4 million in fourth place. The Chinese battle saga's total tally is $41.6 million.

The most dramatic drop came courtesy of Paparazzi, which is failing to click with audiences. After last week's dud fourth-place premiere, the shutterbug thriller fell 58 percent to 10th place with $2.6 million for a two-week total of only $11.8 million.

With kids back in school and not in theaters, the early weeks of September are usually soft. This weekend was no exception as the top 12 films grossed an estimated $64.7 million, a smidgen down from than last weekend, and 11 percent from this time last year, when the conclusion of the El Mariachi trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, starring Antonio Banderos and Johnny Depp, opened with $23.4 million--now the fourth-best September opening if estimates for the second Resident Evil hold.

Those final figures are due Monday. Here are the top 10 films based on studio estimates released Sunday:

1. Resident Evil: Apocalypse, $23.7 million
2. Cellular, $10.6 million
3. Without a Paddle, $4.5 million
4. Hero, $4.4 million
5. The Princess Diaries 2, $2.93 million
6. Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, $2.9 million
7. Vanity Fair, $2.74 million
8. Collateral, $2.7 million
9. Napoleon Dynamite, $2.65 million
10. Paparazzi, $2.6 million